Talk About How You Feel: The Quiet Strength of Emotional Honesty
How often do you say “I’m fine” when you’re anything but?
It’s a reflex — polite, simple, and socially accepted. But in those two small words, entire universes go unspoken: grief, frustration, confusion, tenderness, exhaustion. We tuck our truth behind a smile, hoping no one will see the flicker in our eyes or the tightness in our chest. Not because we want to lie, but because we don’t know if it’s safe to tell the truth.
In a world that celebrates strength, speed, and surface-level connection, emotional honesty can feel radical. Even dangerous. To say what you really feel — especially when it’s messy or inconvenient — means stepping into uncertainty. Will they understand? Will they turn away? Will they think less of me?
So we stay quiet. We choose the easier path: silence, deflection, performance.
